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Sunday, April 15, 2012

Berry Cake

I have baked this berry cake several times in the past couple of years and I never posted it, because the very best photo I ever took of it is the one your looking at, quickly snapped with my iPhone camera before taking it to a party. But summer is right around the corner and spring is definitely here so I thought you should know about this beauty. It's light and airy and wonderful. The absolute best part of this cake is that it is super easy for a layer cake and people love it. It is a summertime rock star.

Beat together eggs, egg yolks, and sugar. Beat until mixture is thick and pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Add in vanilla and beat to combine. Add in olive oil and beat to combine. Add in cornstarch and flour and beat until just combined. Pour into two greased 9x2" round pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool in pans for about 15 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before assembling. I actually find cake layers easier to cut if they have been wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight.

Frosting
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (you can use less if you prefer things less sweet, my family has a sweet tooth the size of Texas)
4 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla

Pour heavy cream into mixing bowl. If using a stand mixer, use whisk attachment and beat heavy cream until frothy. Add in vanilla and continue beating. Slowly add in powdered sugar. Beat until soft peaks form. You are ready to go. If you overbeat the cream by a lot you will get butter. Don't do that.

Fruit Topping
1 pint strawberries (cut up most of them but leave a few whole for the top)
1 pint blackberries
1 pint raspberries
1 pint blueberries
springs of mint (optional)

To build the cake: Cut layers in half. You can use a knife. I use a piece of wire. Place one of the now four layers on your serving plate. Spread 1/4 of the frosting onto the layer. Sprinkle berries over the frosting. Add next layer. Repeat until all the cake is used up. For the top layer, I like to use whole strawberries and a few sprigs of mint. The mint is totally optional, I just have a ton of it growing in my yard. I also like to use extra frosting for the very top to give it some height so maybe save a little extra of the frosting back for the top. You may have some leftover berries. That is ok, put them in a fruit salad.